Systems and methods for seamless audio and video endpoint transitions

ABSTRACT

To provide for seamless audio, video, and contextual transitions in interactive media presentations, endpoints within the presentation are defined. The endpoints are disposed at different times within the presentation and form respective links between points in segments in the presentation. While the presentation is being played, a user interaction is received and an appropriate endpoint is selected based on the interaction. When the selected endpoint is reached, the presentation is seamlessly transitioned to the point in the segment linked to by the endpoint.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to audiovisual presentationsand, more particularly, to systems and methods for seamless audio andvideo transitions in interactive media presentations using definedendpoints.

BACKGROUND

The universe of digital streaming media is constantly evolving. Usersfrequently consume streaming media on their devices through streamingmusic services, video providers, social networks, and other mediaproviders. Interactive streaming multimedia content, though less common,is also available. Many existing forms of interactive videos allow aviewer to make choices on how to proceed through predefined video paths;however, this functionality is accomplished using separate media contentsegments that are quickly transitioned to upon selection, resulting in anoticeable disconnect in audio and video between consecutive segments.In other instances, rather than immediately transitioning to a differentsegment, the user must wait until the end of the currently playingsegment in order to allow for a seamless transition. This, however,results in a transition that appears delayed to the user. Techniques aretherefore needed to provide transitions among media content segmentsthat occur quickly while maintaining seamlessness in audio, video,and/or context.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for seamless transitions inmedia presentations comprises the steps of: receiving an interactivevideo presentation comprising a plurality of video segments; defining aperiod of time within the interactive video presentation during which auser is permitted to switch from a currently playing video segment inthe interactive video presentation to a different video segment in theinteractive video presentation; defining a plurality of endpoints atdifferent times within the period of time, wherein each endpoint forms alink between (i) a point in a video segment in the interactive videopresentation in which the endpoint is defined and (ii) a point in adifferent video segment in the interactive video presentation; andduring playback of the interactive video presentation: receiving a userinteraction during the period of time; determining that the userinteraction occurs prior to a first one of the endpoints; continuingplayback of the interactive video presentation until reaching the timeat which the first endpoint is defined; and upon reaching the time atwhich the first endpoint is defined, seamlessly transitioning theinteractive video presentation from (i) the point in the video segmentin the interactive presentation in which the first endpoint is definedto (ii) the point in the different video segment in the interactivevideo presentation to which the first endpoint is linked. Other aspectsof the foregoing include corresponding systems and computer programs onnon-transitory storage media.

Other implementations of the foregoing aspects can include one or moreof the following features. The interactive video presentation cab bedefined by a tree structure, the tree structure comprising a pluralityof branches of the interactive video, each branch comprising one or moreof the video segments. The different video segments in the interactivevideo presentation to which the endpoints link can comprise the samevideo segment. Each endpoint can be associated with an interim videosegment that, when played, provides a seamless presentation between thepoints in the video segments linked to by the endpoint. Seamlesslytransitioning the interactive video presentation can comprise presentingthe transition video segment immediately upon reaching the time at whichthe first endpoint is defined and immediately prior to presenting thedifferent video segment to which the first endpoint is linked. Eachinterim video segment can be ten seconds or fewer. The first endpointcan be a nearest next endpoint within the period of time followingoccurrence of the user interaction.

In another implementation, the interactive video presentation comprisesa plurality of parallel videos that can be switched among while theinteractive video presentation is playing, each parallel videocomprising one or more of the video segments. In another implementation,the period of time is a first period of time defined within a first oneof the parallel videos, and the plurality of endpoints is a firstplurality of endpoints defined within the first period of time. A secondperiod of time is defined within a second one of the parallel videosduring which a user is permitted to switch from a currently playingvideo segment in the interactive video presentation to a different videosegment in the interactive video presentation, and a second plurality ofendpoints is defined at different times within the second period oftime, wherein each endpoint in the second plurality of endpoints forms alink between (i) a video segment in the interactive video presentationin which the endpoint is defined and (ii) a different video segment inthe interactive video presentation. Seamlessly transitioning theinteractive video presentation can comprise switching presentation ofthe interactive video presentation from the first endpoint in the firstparallel video to a second one of the endpoints in the second pluralityof endpoints in the second parallel video. The parallel videos can besynchronized to a common timeline, and the second endpoint can beearlier in time on the common timeline than the first endpoint.

In a further implementation the first endpoint forms a link between (i)the point in the video segment in the interactive video presentation inwhich the first endpoint is defined and (ii) a plurality of differentpoints in one or more different video segments in the interactive videopresentation. In addition, seamlessly transitioning the interactivevideo presentation can include selecting, based on the user interaction,a particular point of the plurality of different points; and seamlesslytransitioning the interactive video from (i) the point in the videosegment in the interactive presentation in which the first endpoint isdefined to (ii) the particular point.

Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following drawings, detailed description, and claims, all ofwhich illustrate the principles of the invention, by way of exampleonly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many attendantadvantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings. In thedrawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same partsthroughout the different views. Further, the drawings are notnecessarily to scale, with emphasis instead generally being placed uponillustrating the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 depicts a high-level architecture of a system for providinginteractive video content, according to an implementation.

FIG. 2 depicts server-side and client-side components of an applicationfor providing interactive video content, according to an implementation.

FIG. 3A depicts an example branching media presentation.

FIG. 3B depicts a portion of the example media presentation of FIG. 3Ain which a node has defined endpoints disposed within a decision period.

FIGS. 3C-3F depict portions of the example media presentation of FIG. 3Awith endpoints joining various points in the presentation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting one implementation of a method forseamless and non-seamless transitions in media presentations.

FIG. 5 depicts an example media presentation having intermediate nodeslinked to endpoints.

FIG. 6 depicts an example of temporally aligned endpoints in parallelvideo content.

FIG. 7 depicts an example of non-temporally aligned endpoints inparallel video content.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Described herein are various implementations of methods and supportingsystems for seamless transitions, including seamless audio and videotransitions, among media content segments using defined endpoints.

FIG. 1 depicts an example high-level architecture of a system forproviding interactive video content. Application 112 executes on a userdevice 110 and receives a media presentation, which can include multiplevideo and/or audio streams. The media presentation can be presented to auser on the user device 110, with application 112 capable of playingand/or editing the content. The user device 110 can be, for example, asmartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, palmtop, television, gaming device,virtual reality headset, smart glasses, smart watch, music player,mobile telephone, workstation, or other computing device configured toexecute the functionality described herein. The user device 110 can haveoutput functionality (e.g., display monitor, touchscreen, imageprojector, etc.) and input functionality (e.g., touchscreen, keyboard,mouse, physical buttons, motion detection, remote control, etc.).

Media content can be provided to the user device 110 by content server102, which can be a web server, media server, a node in a contentdelivery network, or other content source. In some implementations, theapplication 112 (or a portion thereof) is provided by application server106. For example, some or all of the described functionality of theapplication 112 can be implemented in software downloaded to or existingon the user device 110 and, in some instances, some or all of thefunctionality exists remotely. For example, certain video encoding andprocessing functions can be performed on one or more remote servers,such as application server 106. In some implementations, the user device110 serves only to provide output and input functionality, with theremainder of the processes being performed remotely.

The user device 110, content server 102, application server 106, and/orother devices and servers can communicate with each other throughcommunications network 114. The communication can take place via anymedia such as wireless links (802.11, Bluetooth, GSM, CDMA, etc.),standard telephone lines, LAN or WAN links (e.g., T1, T3, 56 kb, X.25),broadband connections (ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM), and so on. The network114 can carry TCP/IP protocol communications and HTTP/HTTPS requestsmade by a web browser, and the connection between clients and serverscan be communicated over such TCP/IP networks. The type of network isnot a limitation, however, and any suitable network can be used.

More generally, the techniques described herein can be implemented inany suitable hardware or software. If implemented as software, theprocesses can execute on a system capable of running one or more customoperating systems or commercial operating systems such as the MicrosoftWindows® operating systems, the Apple OS X® operating systems, the AppleiOS® platform, the Google Android™ platform, the Linux® operating systemand other variants of UNIX® operating systems, and the like. Thesoftware can be implemented a computer including a processing unit, asystem memory, and a system bus that couples various system componentsincluding the system memory to the processing unit.

The system can include a plurality of software modules stored in amemory and executed on one or more processors. The modules can be in theform of a suitable programming language, which is converted to machinelanguage or object code to allow the processor or processors to read theinstructions. The software can be in the form of a standaloneapplication, implemented in any suitable programming language orframework.

Method steps of the techniques described herein can be performed by oneor more programmable processors executing a computer program to performfunctions of the invention by operating on input data and generatingoutput. Method steps can also be performed by, and apparatus of theinvention can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g.,an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specificintegrated circuit). Modules can refer to portions of the computerprogram and/or the processor/special circuitry that implements thatfunctionality.

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data. Information carriers suitable forembodying computer program instructions and data include all forms ofnon-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memorydevices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks,e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; andCD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. One or more memories can store media assets(e.g., audio, video, graphics, interface elements, and/or other mediafiles), configuration files, and/or instructions that, when executed bya processor, form the modules, engines, and other components describedherein and perform the functionality associated with the components. Theprocessor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated inspecial purpose logic circuitry.

It should also be noted that the present implementations can be providedas one or more computer-readable programs embodied on or in one or morearticles of manufacture. The article of manufacture can be any suitablehardware apparatus, such as, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, asolid state drive, a CD-ROM, a CD-RW, a CD-R, a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RW, aDVD-R, a flash memory card, a PROM, a RAM, a ROM, or a magnetic tape. Ingeneral, the computer-readable programs can be implemented in anyprogramming language. The software programs can be further translatedinto machine language or virtual machine instructions and stored in aprogram file in that form. The program file can then be stored on or inone or more of the articles of manufacture.

The media presentations referred to herein can be structured in variousforms. For example, a particular media presentation can be an onlinestreaming video having multiple tracks or streams that a user caninteractively switch among in real-time or near real-time. For example,a media presentation can be structured using parallel audio and/or videotracks as described in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2016/0105724,published on Apr. 14, 2016, and entitled “Systems and Methods forParallel Track Transitions,” the entirety of which is incorporated byreference herein. More specifically, a playing video file or stream canhave one or more parallel tracks that can be switched among in real-timeautomatically and/or based on user interactions. In someimplementations, such switches are made seamlessly and substantiallyinstantaneously (within milliseconds), such that the audio and/or videoof the playing content can continue without any perceptible delays,gaps, or buffering. In further implementations, switches among tracksmaintain temporal continuity; that is, the tracks can be synchronized toa common timeline so that there is continuity in audio and/or videocontent when switching from one track to another (e.g., the same song isplayed using different instruments on different audio tracks; samestoryline performed by different characters on different video tracks,and the like).

Such media presentations can also include interactive video structuredin a video tree, hierarchy, or other form or structure. A video tree canbe formed by nodes that are connected in a branching, hierarchical, orother linked form. Nodes can each have an associated video segment,audio segment, graphical user interface (GUI) elements, and/or otherassociated media. Users (e.g., viewers) can watch a video that beginsfrom a starting node in the tree and proceeds along connected nodes in abranch or path. Upon reaching a point during playback of the video wheremultiple video segments (child nodes) branch off from a segment (parentnode), the user can interactively select the branch or path to traverseand, thus, the next video segment to watch.

As referred to herein, a particular branch or path in an interactivemedia structure, such as a video tree, can refer to a set ofconsecutively linked nodes between a starting node and ending node,inclusively, or can refer to some or all possible linked nodes that areconnected subsequent to (e.g., sub-branches) or that include aparticular node. Branched video can include seamlessly assembled andselectably presentable multimedia content such as that described in U.S.Patent Application Pub. No. 2011/0200116, published on Aug. 18, 2011,and entitled “System and Method for Seamless Multimedia Assembly”, andU.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2015/0067723, published on Mar. 5,2015, and entitled “Methods and Systems for Unfolding Video Pre-Roll,”the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The prerecorded video segments in a video tree or other structure can beselectably presentable multimedia content; that is, some or all of thevideo segments in the video tree can be individually or collectivelyplayed for a user based upon the user's selection of a particular videosegment, an interaction with a previous or playing video segment, orother interaction that results in a particular video segment or segmentsbeing played. The video segments can include, for example, one or morepredefined, separate multimedia content segments that can be combined invarious manners to create a continuous, seamless presentation such thatthere are no noticeable gaps, jumps, freezes, delays, or other visual oraudible interruptions to video or audio playback between segments. Inaddition to the foregoing, “seamless” can refer to a continuous playbackof content that gives the user the appearance of watching a single,linear multimedia presentation, as well as a continuous playback ofmultiple content segments that have smooth audio and/or videotransitions (e.g., fadeout/fade-in, linking segments) between two ormore of the segments.

In some instances, the user is permitted to make choices or otherwiseinteract in real-time at decision points or during decision periodsinterspersed throughout the multimedia content. Decision points and/ordecision periods can occur at any time and in any number during amultimedia segment, including at or near the beginning and/or the end ofthe segment. In some implementations, a decision period can extend overmultiple multimedia segments. Decision points and/or periods can bepredefined, occurring at fixed points or during fixed periods in themultimedia content segments. Based at least in part on the user'schoices made before or during playback of content, one or moresubsequent multimedia segment(s) associated with the choices can bepresented to the user. In some implementations, the subsequent segmentis played immediately and automatically following the conclusion of thecurrent segment, whereas in other implementations, the subsequentsegment is played immediately upon the user's interaction with thevideo, without waiting for the end of the decision period or the end ofthe segment itself.

If a user does not make a selection at a decision point or during adecision period, a default, previously identified selection, or randomselection can be made by the system. In some instances, the user is notprovided with options; rather, the system automatically selects thesegments that will be shown based on information that is associated withthe user, other users, or other factors, such as the current date. Forexample, the system can automatically select subsequent segments basedon the user's IP address, location, time zone, the weather in the user'slocation, social networking ID, saved selections, stored user profiles(as further described below), preferred products or services, and so on.The system can also automatically select segments based on previousselections made by other users, such as the most popular suggestion orshared selections. The information can also be displayed to the user inthe video, e.g., to show the user why an automatic selection is made. Asone example, video segments can be automatically selected forpresentation based on the geographical location of three differentusers: a user in Canada will see a twenty-second beer commercial segmentfollowed by an interview segment with a Canadian citizen; a user in theUS will see the same beer commercial segment followed by an interviewsegment with a US citizen; and a user in France is shown only the beercommercial segment.

Multimedia segment(s) selected automatically or by a user can bepresented immediately following a currently playing segment, or can beshown after other segments are played. Further, the selected multimediasegment(s) can be presented to the user immediately after selection,after a fixed or random delay, at the end of a decision period, and/orat the end of the currently playing segment. Two or more combinedsegments can form a seamless multimedia content path or branch, andusers can take multiple paths over multiple play-throughs, andexperience different complete, start-to-finish, seamless presentations.Further, one or more multimedia segments can be shared amongintertwining paths while still ensuring a seamless transition from aprevious segment and to the next segment. The content paths can bepredefined, with fixed sets of possible transitions in order to ensureseamless transitions among segments. The content paths can also bepartially or wholly undefined, such that, in some or all instances, theuser can switch to any known video segment without limitation. There canbe any number of predefined paths, each having any number of predefinedmultimedia segments. Some or all of the segments can have the same ordifferent playback lengths, including segments branching from a singlesource segment.

Traversal of the nodes along a content path in a tree can be performedby selecting among options that appear on and/or around the video whilethe video is playing. In some implementations, these options arepresented to users at a decision point and/or during a decision periodin a content segment. Some or all of the displayed options can hover andthen disappear when the decision period ends or when an option has beenselected. Further, a timer, countdown or other visual, aural, or othersensory indicator can be presented during playback of content segment toinform the user of the point by which he should (or, in some cases,must) make his selection. For example, the countdown can indicate whenthe decision period will end, which can be at a different time than whenthe currently playing segment will end. If a decision period ends beforethe end of a particular segment, the remaining portion of the segmentcan serve as a non-interactive seamless transition to one or more othersegments. Further, during this non-interactive end portion, the nextmultimedia content segment (and other potential next segments) can bedownloaded and buffered in the background for later playback (orpotential playback).

A segment that is played after (immediately after or otherwise) acurrently playing segment can be determined based on an option selectedor other interaction with the video. Each available option can result ina different video and audio segment being played. As previouslymentioned, the transition to the next segment can occur immediately uponselection, at the end of the current segment, or at some otherpredefined or random point. Notably, the transition between contentsegments can be seamless. In other words, the audio and video continueplaying regardless of whether a segment selection is made, and nonoticeable gaps appear in audio or video playback between any connectingsegments. In some instances, the video continues on to another segmentafter a certain amount of time if none is chosen, or can continueplaying in a loop.

In one example, the multimedia content is a music video in which theuser selects options upon reaching segment decision points to determinesubsequent content to be played. First, a video introduction segment isplayed for the user. Prior to the end of the segment, a decision pointis reached at which the user can select the next segment to be playedfrom a listing of choices. In this case, the user is presented with achoice as to who will sing the first verse of the song: a tall, femaleperformer, or a short, male performer. The user is given an amount oftime to make a selection (i.e., a decision period), after which, if noselection is made, a default segment will be automatically selected. Thedefault can be a predefined or random selection. Of note, the mediacontent continues to play during the time the user is presented with thechoices. Once a choice is selected (or the decision period ends), aseamless transition occurs to the next segment, meaning that the audioand video continue on to the next segment as if there were no breakbetween the two segments and the user cannot visually or audibly detectthe transition. As the music video continues, the user is presented withother choices at other decisions points, depending on which path ofchoices is followed. Ultimately, the user arrives at a final segment,having traversed a complete multimedia content path.

FIG. 2 depicts one implementation of a detailed architecture ofclient-side components in application 112 on user device 110, includinginputs received from remote sources, such as content server 102 andapplication server 106. Client side components include Profile Manager212, Choice Manager 216, Inputs Collector 244, GUI Manager 254, LoadingManager 262, and Video Appender 270. Profile Manager 212 receives userprofile information from User Profile 210, which can exist locally onthe client (user device 110) or, as depicted, be obtained externallyfrom a remote server (e.g., content server 102 or application server106). Profile Manager 212 can also provide information characterizing auser for storing back in User Profile 210. A different User Profile 210can exist for each identifiable viewer of a media presentation, witheach user identified by a unique ID and/or identification technique(e.g., a cookie stored locally on the user's device). Default userprofile information can be provided when a viewer is anonymous or cannototherwise be identified.

User Profile 210 can include information collected through a user'sinteraction with an interactive video and an interactive media player,as well as information obtained from other sources (e.g., detectedlocation of user's device, information made available through a user'ssocial media account, information provided by the user when creating anaccount with a provider of the interactive media player, and so on).Profile Manager 212 can use the information in User Profile 210 to causethe presentation of an interactive video to be dynamically modified,e.g., by adapting choices and content presented to the user to theuser's previous or current behavior, or otherwise changing thepresentation of the interactive video from its default state. Forexample, based on information in User Profile 210, Profile Manager 212can direct Choice Manager 216 to select only a subset of choices (e.g.,2 of 3 choices) to provide to a viewer approaching a decision point,where Choice Manager 216 would otherwise provide a full set of choices(e.g., 3 of 3 choices) by default during presentation of the interactivevideo. Profile Manager 212 can also receive information from InputsCollector 244 (this information can include, e.g., user interactions)and Choice Manager 216 (this information can include, e.g., a currentlyselected path in a video tree), which can be used to update User Profile210. In some implementations, information in User Profile 210 can beused to modify the state of the interactive media player itself, asfurther described below.

Inputs Collector 244 receives user inputs 240 from input components suchas a device display screen 272, keyboard, mouse, microphone, virtualreality headset, and the like. Such inputs 240 can include, for example,mouse clicks, keyboard presses, touchpad presses, eye movement, headmovement, voice input, etc. Inputs Collector 244 provides inputinformation based on the inputs 240 to Profile Manager 212 and ChoiceManager 216, the latter of which also receives information from ProfileManager 212 as well as a Project Configuration File 230 to determinewhich video segment should be currently played and which video segmentsmay be played or presented as options to be played at a later time(e.g., influenced by information from the User Profile 210). ChoiceManager 216 notifies Video Appender 270 of the video segment to becurrently played, and Video Appender 270 seamlessly connects that videosegment to the video stream being played in real time. Choice Manager216 notifies Loading Manager 262 of the video segments that may beplayed or presented as options to be played at a later time.

Project Configuration File 230 can include information defining themedia presentation, such as the video tree or other structure, and howvideo segments can be linked together in various manners to form one ormore paths. Project Configuration File 230 can further specify whichaudio, video, and/or other media files correspond to each segment (e.g.,node in a video tree), that is, which audio, video, and/or other mediashould be retrieved when application 112 determines that a particularsegment should be played. Additionally, Project Configuration File 230can indicate interface elements that should be displayed or otherwisepresented to users, as well as when the elements should be displayed,such that the audio, video, and interactive elements of the mediapresentation are synchronized. Project Configuration File 230 can bestored on user device 110 or can be remotely accessed by Choice Manager216.

In some implementations, Project Configuration File 230 is also used indetermining which media files should be loaded or buffered prior tobeing played (or potentially played). Because decision points can occurnear the end of a segment, it may be necessary to begin transferring oneor more of the potential next segments to viewers prior to a selectionbeing made. For example, if a viewer is approaching a decision pointwith three possible branches, all three potential next segments can bepreloaded partially or fully to ensure a smooth transition uponconclusion of the current segment. Intelligent buffering and progressivedownloading of the video, audio, and/or other media content can beperformed as described in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2013/0259442,published Oct. 3, 2013, and entitled “Systems and Methods for LoadingMore Than One Video Content at a Time,” the entirety of which isincorporated by reference herein. Similarly, where endpoints (asdescribed below) are used in a branching video presentation, paralleltrack presentation, or other media presentation, buffering orpre-loading of content associated with one or more endpoint destinationscan occur so that seamless transitions can be made between points in thepresentation linked by endpoints. For example, if a decision period in avideo segment has three defined endpoints that link to three differentpoints in one or more other video segments, the video content associatedwith all three endpoint destinations can be downloaded and buffered atan appropriate time prior to reaching any of the endpoints.

Using information in Project Configuration File 230, Choice Manager 216can inform GUI Manager 254 of which interface elements should bedisplayed to viewers on screen 272. Project Configuration File 230 canfurther indicate the specific timings for which actions can be takenwith respect to the interface elements (e.g., when a particular elementis active and can be interacted with). The interface elements caninclude, for example, playback controls (pause, stop, play, seek, etc.),segment option selectors (e.g., buttons, images, text, animations, videothumbnails, and the like, that a viewer can interact with duringdecision periods, the selection of which results in a particularmultimedia segment being seamlessly played following the conclusion ofthe current segment), timers (e.g., a clock or other graphical ortextual countdown indicating the amount of time remaining to select anoption or next segment, which, in some cases, can be the amount of timeremaining until the current segment will transition to the nextsegment), links, popups, an index (e.g., for browsing and/or selectingother multimedia content to view or listen to), and/or a dynamicprogress bar such as that described in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No.2014/0082666, published Mar. 20, 2014, and entitled “Progress Bar forBranched Videos,” the entirety of which is incorporated by referenceherein. In addition to visual elements, sounds or other sensory elementscan be presented. For example, a timer can have a “ticking” soundsynchronized with the movement of a clock hand. The interactiveinterface elements can be shared among multimedia segments or can beunique to one or more of the segments.

In addition to reading information from Project Configuration File 230,Choice Manager 216 is notified of user interactions (e.g., mouse clicks,keyboard presses, touchpad presses, eye movements, etc.) from InputsCollector 244, which interactions can be translated into actionsassociated with the playback of a media presentation (e.g., segmentselections, playback controls, etc.). Based thereon, Choice Manager 216notifies Loading Manager 262, which can process the actions as furtherdescribed below. Choice Manager 216 can also interface with LoadingManager 262 and Video Appender 270. For example, Choice Manager 216 canlisten for user interaction information from Inputs Collector 244 andnotify Loading Manager 262 when an interaction by the viewer (e.g., aselection of an option displayed during the video) has occurred. In someimplementations, based on its analysis of received events, ChoiceManager 216 causes the presentation of various forms of sensory output,such as visual, aural, tactile, olfactory, and the like.

As earlier noted, Choice Manager 216 can also notify Loading Manager 262of video segments that may be played at a later time, and Loading Manger262 can retrieve the corresponding videos 225 (whether stored locally oron, e.g., content server 102) to have them prepared for potentialplayback through Video Appender 270. Choice Manager 216 and LoadingManager 262 can function to manage the downloading of hosted streamingmedia according to a loading logic. In one implementation, ChoiceManager 216 receives information defining the media presentationstructure from Project Configuration File 230 and, using informationfrom Inputs Collector 244 and Profile Manager 212, determines whichmedia segments to download and/or buffer (e.g., if the segments areremotely stored). For example, if Choice Manager 216 informs LoadingManager 262 that a particular segment A will or is likely to be playedat an upcoming point in the presentation timeline, Loading Manager 262can intelligently request the segment for download, as well asadditional media segments X, Y and Z that can be played followingsegment A, in advance of playback or notification of potential playbackthereof. The downloading can occur even if fewer than all of X, Y, Zwill be played (e.g., if X, Y and Z are potential segment choicesbranching off segment A and only one will be selected for playback).

In some implementations, Loading Manager 262 ceases or cancelsdownloading of content segments or other media if it determines that itis no longer possible for a particular media content segment (or othercontent) to be presented on a currently traversed media path. Referringto the above example, a user interacts with the video presentation suchthat segment Y is determined to be the next segment that will be played.The interaction can be received by Choice Manager 216 and, based on itsknowledge of the path structure of the video presentation, LoadingManager 262 is notified to stop active downloads or dequeue pendingdownloads of content segments no longer reachable now that segment Y hasbeen selected.

Video Appender 270 receives media content from Loading Manager 262 andinstructions from Choice Manager 216 on which media segments to includein a media presentation. Video Appender 270 can analyze and/or modifyraw video or other media content, for example, to concatenate twoseparate media streams into a single timeline. Video Appender 270 canalso insert cue points and other event markers, such as junction events,into media streams. Further, Video Appender 270 can form one or morestreams of bytes from multiple video, audio or other media streams, andfeed the formed streams to a video playback function such that there isseamless playback of the combined media content on display screen 272(as well as through speakers for audio, for example).

In some implementations, application 112 tracks information regardinguser interactions, users, and/or player devices, and stores theinformation in a database. Collected analytics can include, but are notlimited to: (1) device information, such as number, type, brand, model,device location, operating system, installed software, browser, browserparameters, user agent string, screen size, bandwidth, and networkconnection parameters; (2) user tracking and demographic data, such aslogin information, name, address, age, sex, referrer, uniform resourcelocator (URL), urchin tracking module (UTM) parameters; (3) user orautomated action information, such as button/touchpad presses, mouseclicks, mouse/touchpad movements, action timings, media player controls(play, pause, volume up/down, mute, full screen, minimize, seek forward,seek backward, etc.), link outs, shares, rates, comments; (4)information associated with interactions with interactive media content,such as decisions made by users or made automatically (e.g., contentsegment user choices or default selections), starting a node, ending anode, and content paths followed in the presentation content structure;and (5) information associated with media playback events and timing,such as loading events, buffering events, play and pause events. Theanalytics can include those described in U.S. Patent Application Pub.No. 2011/0202562, entitled “System and Method for Data Mining withinInteractive Multimedia,” and published Aug. 18, 2011, the entirety ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein. In one instance, some or allof these analytics are included in or used to inform attributes in UserProfile 210.

As earlier described, the transition between multimedia segments in aninteractive media presentation can be seamless such that there is nonoticeable gap or change in audio, video, and/or context between thesegments. For example, with respect to audio, a seamless transition caninclude voices, music, or other sounds continuing uninterrupted from onesegment to the next, or otherwise not having noticeable breaks orinterruptions between segments. With respect to video, a seamlesstransition can include video content continuing uninterrupted from onesegment to the next, visually (e.g., the segments, when joined together,appear to be one continuous video) and/or contextually (e.g., thesegments depict different scenes in a continuous storyline). Normally,to effect a seamless transition between two segments, the end of onesegment (or the end of a decision period) has to join seamlessly to thenext segment. When the transition occurs at the end of a decisionperiod, the user experiences a delay between making a decision andseeing the effect of the decision.

Various techniques can be used to address the issue of transition delayand create seamless transitions that feel immediate to the user (e.g.,occurring in less than 1 second after the user's decision, or otherreasonably imperceptible delay). In one implementation, to create aseamless audio transition between two segments in a media presentation,audio content is muted or faded out during the decision period in thefirst segment. Once a decision is made during the decision period, thepresentation immediately transitions to a different segmentcorresponding with the decision and audio is resumed (e.g., unmuted orincreased in volume). In another implementation, some of the audio inthe first segment replaces audio in the next segment. For example, if auser makes a decision with two seconds left in the decision period ofthe first segment, the presentation can immediately transition to thenext segment, but the audio associated with the two seconds remaining inthe decision period is then played instead of the two seconds of audiothat would normally be played at the beginning of the next segment. Itshould be appreciated, however, that a shorter period of audio than thatremaining in the decision period can be substituted at the beginning ofthe next segment. To ensure a fully seamless transition, the audioassociated with the next segment can be formed to allow for suchsubstitutions without resulting in a noticeable skip or gap in audio.

In one implementation, endpoints are used to provide seamless,near-instant transitions. As used herein, an “endpoint” or “end point”is a defined source point in a media presentation (e.g., a time orlocation in or relative to a media segment, an event occurrence, orother suitable static or dynamically defined location) that isdirectionally linked to a different defined destination point in themedia presentation. In some implementations, endpoints are definedwithin a decision period (which can include the beginning or end of adecision period, or any point in between). Notably, an endpoint canrepresent a connection between two separate points in a mediapresentation such that, when playing the presentation, a switchimmediately from the first point to the second point is seamless. Inother implementations, a switch from the first point to the second pointcan include intermediate transitional content to effect the seamlessnature of the switch. Endpoints can be stored as metadata associatedwith particular nodes and/or specified in a configuration file, such asProject Configuration File 230. The location of each endpoint can bedefined as a fixed time within a media content segment or decisionperiod, a relative time (e.g., offset from the beginning of a mediacontent segment, beginning of a decision period, or a previousendpoint), or in some other suitable manner. In further implementations,endpoints are used for analytics. For example, the system can trackwhich endpoints are used to track user decision speed, choicepopularity, content segment length (which can be dynamically longer orshorter depending on which endpoint is selected), and so on.

In any event, to fully effect a seamless transition at an endpoint, theaudio, video, or other content at the endpoint is designed to flowseamlessly into the audio, video, or other content at the point to wherethe endpoint links. It is to be appreciated that there are a multitudeof ways in which this can be accomplished. The following examples arefor purposes of illustration and are not meant to be limiting. As oneexample, to create a seamless music or sound effects transition betweentwo different points in a media presentation, the audio can include alooping or otherwise repetitive portion that plays at both points. Forseamless transitions during dialogue, endpoints can be defined betweenwords or sentences to avoid cutting off in the middle of a spoken wordor sound. Other techniques include defining endpoints within quiet ormuted audio portions, at scene boundaries, during fades, between cameraangle changes, or on creative pauses. Endpoints can be defined manually(e.g., by a content creator) and/or automatically. Automatic creation ofendpoints can be performed by editing software at the time of contentcreation, or dynamically, while the media is being presented. Artificialintelligence or machine learning techniques can be used to identifyappropriate seamless transition points, including by intelligentlyrecognizing any of the types of endpoint placements listed above.

FIG. 3A depicts an example branching multimedia presentation 300 withmultiple nodes and branching paths. For purposes of simplifyingvisualization, the presentation 300 includes a small number of nodes andpaths; however, it is to be appreciated that significantly more complexpresentations are contemplated. The presentation includes seven nodes(A, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and D) and four distinct paths (A→B1→C1;A→B1→C2; A→B2→D; and A→B3→D). Node A can include a decision periodduring which a user can make choices that determine whether thepresentation will then proceed from Node A to Node B1, B2, or B3.Similarly, Node B1 can include a decision period the result of whichguides the presentation into Node C1 or Node C2.

FIG. 3B depicts an example of endpoints defined in a decision period inthe multimedia presentation 300 of FIG. 3A. For facilitation ofexplanation, two nodes (Node A and Node B2) are depicted; however, it isto be appreciated that the techniques described with respect to theconnections between Node A and Node B2 can be similarly applied to theconnections between Node A and Node B1, as well as Node A and Node B3.Referring again to FIG. 3B, Node A and Node B2 include respective videoand audio segments and, in some instances, when played consecutively,the video and audio transition from Node A to Node B2 is seamless. Adecision period 302 is defined within the presentation, starting nearthe end of Node A and continuing to the end of Node A. For example, thedecision period 302 can start 10 seconds prior to the end of Node A andfinish at the same time that Node A ends. The decision period 302includes five endpoints A-E, although more or fewer endpoints arepossible. Each endpoint A-E occurs at a different point in time withinthe decision period 302. In some instances, such as depicted in FIG. 3B,the endpoints are not evenly spaced within the decision period 302,whereas, in other instances, some or all of the endpoints are evenlyspaced (e.g., every 1 second, every 2 seconds, etc.). Each endpoint A-Eis linked to another point in the presentation. Some or all of theendpoints A-E can link to the same point, or some or all of theendpoints A-E can link to different points. For example, FIG. 3C depictseach endpoint A-E linking from the location of the respective endpointin Node A to the same location (the beginning of Node B2).Alternatively, FIG. 3D depicts each endpoint A-E linking from thelocation of the respective endpoint in Node A to a different locationwithin Node B2.

A user can make a choice at any time during the decision period 302 (ora non-interactive choice can be made automatically at any time duringthe decision period 302). However, rather than taking action immediatelyupon the choice being made, the transition to other content is made uponthe playing video reaching the next endpoint in the decision period.This ensures two things: first, if the next endpoint is reasonably closein time to when the choice is made, the transition will occur relativelyquickly, and in some instances nearly instantaneously, after the choice(e.g., within 2 seconds, within 1 second, within 500 milliseconds,etc.); and, second, the video and/or audio ending at the decisionendpoint and starting at the point in the presentation to which theendpoint links can be formed so that there is a seamless connection whentransitioning from one to the other. Referring still to FIG. 3, a userselection occurs in the decision period 302 at a time between endpointsC and D. The presentation continues (i.e., the playing of the video andaudio content in Node A continues) until the next endpoint (endpoint D)is reached, at which point the presentation immediately and seamlesslyswitches to the point linked to by endpoint D. For example, thelinked-to point could be defined forward or backward in time, to anotheraudio and/or video segment in the presentation, to another node in abranching tree structure, to another track in a parallel trackstructure, or any other point within available media content, includinga point in another media presentation altogether. In one implementation,the final endpoint E can simply link to the point in Node B2 immediatelyfollowing the end of the decision period 302 (i.e., the beginning ofNode B2), such that the playing content automatically continues withoutinterruption if the end of the decision period, and endpoint E, isreached 302.

In some implementations, endpoints have one-to-many mappings thatcorrespond to different segment options or parallel tracks. Toillustrate, referring now to FIG. 3E, as in previous examples, Node Ahas a decision period that includes endpoints A-E that link fromcorresponding source points in Node A to destination points in Node B2.Also shown are Node B1 and B3 which are other segment options branchingfrom Node A (see FIG. 3A). Node B1 and Node B3 also have destinationpoints that are respectively linked to from the source points ofendpoints A-E. While a user is viewing the presentation, upon reachingthe decision period in Node A, the user is presented with variousoptions that, depending on which option(s) is selected, affect thetraversal of the tree. As such, based on the user's choice, thepresentation can proceed from Node A to any of Nodes B1, B2, or B3. Whenthe transition is made, however, depends on when the user makes theirchoice in relation to the locations of the endpoints in the decisionperiod. So, for example, if the user makes a choice after endpoint B butbefore endpoint C, the transition will occur at the source point C0 inNode A defined by endpoint C (endpoint C has a one-to-many mapping ofsource point C0 to destination points C1/C2/C3). Upon reaching suchsource point C0, the presentation is seamlessly transitioned from Node Ato one of the destination points (C1, C2, or C3) associated withendpoint C. The destination point that is selected is the one thatcorresponds to the choice made by the user; that is, the correspondingdestination point in either Node B1, B2 or B3. Thus, if the presentationproceeds from Node A to Node B3 based on the user's choice, thetransition will occur at source point C0 and continue on seamlessly atdestination point C3. Likewise, if the presentation instead were toproceed from Node A to Node B1 or Node B2, the transition would occur atsource point C0 and continue at destination point C1 or destinationpoint C2, respectively.

While FIG. 3E shows that Nodes B1, B2, and B3 each have the same numberof destination points that are aligned in time with each other (e.g.,Nodes B1, B2, and B3 all have a destination point C1, C2, and C3,respectively, at the same point in time with respect to the beginning ofthe node), this need not be the case. For example, in anotherimplementation, as depicted in FIG. 3F, Nodes B1, B2, and B3 can havedifferent numbers of destination points with different time alignments.In this instance, endpoint A has a one-to-many mapping of source pointA0 to destination points A1/A2/ABCDE3; endpoint B has a one-to-manymapping of source point B0 to destination points B1/BC2/ABCDE3; endpointC has a one-to-many mapping of source point C0 to destination pointsC1/BC2/ABCDE3; endpoint D has a one-to-many mapping of source point D0to destination points D1/D2/ABCDE3; and endpoint E has a one-to-manymapping of source point E0 to destination points E1/E2/ABCDE3. All ofthe aforementioned destination points are located at various timeswithin their respective nodes, but need not correspond among them. Forexample, in Node B1, destination point A1 is at time 1 with respect tothe beginning of Node B1, destination point B1 is at time 2, destinationpoint C1 is at time 3, destination point D1 is at time 5, anddestination point point E1 is at time 7. In Node B2, destination pointA2 is at time 1.5 with respect to the beginning of Node B2, destinationpoint BC2 is at 2.8, destination point D2 is at time 4, and destinationpoint E2 is at time 7. Node B3 contains only one destination point, attime 2.5 from the beginning of Node B3. Accordingly, if the presentationtransitions from Node A to Node B1 at source point C0 defined byendpoint C, the presentation will continue seamlessly at destinationpoint C1 (this is similar to the example in FIG. 3A). If thepresentation instead transitions from Node A to Node B2 at either sourcepoint B0 or C0, seamless continuation occurs at destination point BC2.Further, if the presentation transitions from Node A to Node B3, thepresentation will continue at destination point ABCDE3, regardless of atwhich source point (A0, B0, C0, D0, or E0) the transition occurs.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example method for transitioning (seamlessly ornon-seamlessly) among content in a media presentation, in accordancewith the various techniques described above. The method commences withStep 402, in which, during the playthrough of the media presentation, adecision period is reached, and various options are presented to theuser. As described earlier herein, the options can be represented byinteractive buttons or other visual controls. Each option can affectwhich content is presented to the user after the currently playingcontent. For example, each option can be associated with a differentpath in a branching tree structure. If no option is selected by the userbefore the decision period ends, the content (e.g., video and audiocontent) continues playing until a cutoff point is reached (Step 404).The cutoff point can be the end of the decision period, the end of themedia segment containing the decision period, or some other suitablepoint in the media presentation. An option is automatically thenselected by the system (Step 406), and a transition to the selectedcontent is made (Step 408).

On the other hand, if the user makes a decision and selects an optionprior to the end of the decision period, an indicator can be provided tothe user to show that the selection was received (e.g., by highlightinga selected button or other user control, changing a color scheme ortone, fading out the selected button or other user control, providing anauditory indicator, providing a vibration or other tactile indicator,etc.) and the other unchosen options can be hidden (Step 410). One ofthree different techniques is used to transition to the contentassociated with the selected option. One technique is to jump to the newcontent immediately (Step 412); however, this may result in a transitionthat is not seamless in audio, video, and/or other context or content.Alternatively, the transition can occur at the end of the node, segment,decision period, or some other fixed point in the future (Step 414). Inthis regard, the transition can be ensured seamless, but the user willgenerally experience a delay for the transition to occur. In Step 416,the transition occurs at an endpoint within the decision period (e.g.,the next immediate endpoint following the user's choice, or otherfollowing endpoint). In this instance, the transition can occur bothseamlessly and substantially instantaneously.

In one implementation, an endpoint can link to an intermediate node thatforms a seamless connection between the endpoint and a destination node.FIG. 5 depicts two nodes (Node A and Node B2) in a media presentation,such as a branching interactive video. Node A includes a decision period(shaded area) with four endpoints. Regardless of which endpoint isselected, the presentation proceeds from Node A to the beginning of NodeB2. However, because the transitions occur at different times (i.e., thedifferent times of each endpoint within the decision period),intermediate content may be necessary, at least for some of theendpoints, to create a seamless transition between Node A and Node B2.Each of the four intermediate nodes 502, 504, 506, and 508 links to arespective endpoint in Node A and to the destination node, Node B2.Thus, if the user makes a choice during the decision period between thesecond and third endpoints, the transition from Node A begins at thethird endpoint and proceeds through intermediate node 504, beforearriving at the beginning of Node B2. Generally, the intermediate nodes502, 504, 506, and 508 are shorter in time relative to the media contentassociated with Node A and Node B2 (e.g., 1 second, 2 seconds, 3seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or other amount of time necessary toseamlessly transition audio, video, context, etc.). However, the lengthof the intermediate nodes 502, 504, 506, and 508 is not a limitation,and any suitable length is contemplated.

To illustrate, as one example, the media presentation is an interactivevideo depicting a passenger in an airplane flying above New York City.As the content in Node A plays, the passenger turns to look out thewindow and sees notable buildings, bridges and other features enter andleave his view. The decision period is entered, and the user ispresented with various options. Once the user makes a selection, thevideo in Node A proceeds to transition to the beginning of Node B2 atthe next closest endpoint. However, the video and audio at Node B2 needsto seamlessly connect to where it leaves off at the endpoint, otherwise,the user will experience a jarring effect as the plane appears to jumpahead over the city, an inflight announcement is cut short, etc. Toavoid this, an intermediate node is played between the endpoint and NodeB2. The intermediate node contains audio, video, and/or other contentthat provides a seamless transition between the endpoint and thebeginning of Node B2. In some implementations, the intermediate nodecontains only what is necessary to form a seamless connection (e.g.,audio only, video only, audio and video, etc.).

Although FIG. 5 depicts multiple endpoints all indirectly linking to thesame destination (i.e., the beginning of Node B2), it should beappreciated that, as elsewhere described herein, endpoints can link toother points in the same or a different presentation. For example, oneor more of the endpoints shown in FIG. 5 could alternatively link tonodes other than Node B2. In other implementations, one or more of theendpoints could link to intermediate points within Node B2, rather thanthe beginning of the node. In another implementation, one or more of theendpoints could link directly to a destination node, without anintermediate node. For example, the last endpoint could link directly tothe beginning of Node B2 if no intermediate content is necessary tocreate a seamless connection between the end of Node A and the beginningof Node B2. In further implementations, endpoints can link tointermediate points within a node, instead of or in addition to the useof intermediate nodes.

In another implementation, endpoints are used to facilitate seamlesstransitions among parallel tracks or nodes. Typically, with paralleltracks, the user can switch among the tracks in substantially real-time.The track that the user has selected is presented to the user, while theother tracks continue playing either with reduced focus or completelyinvisible to the user. Similarly to television channels, the content onone track does not pause if the user switches to view content on anothertrack. However, an instant switch from one track to another can resultin a transition that is not seamless.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the context of two or more parallel tracks,endpoints can be defined so that switching tracks is seamless. Thus, ifa user is viewing track Video 1 and interacts with the video in a mannerthat requires a transition to track Video 2, the transition will notoccur until the next endpoint is reached. For example, if the userinteraction occurs between endpoints B and C, track Video 1 will notswitch to track Video 2 until endpoint C in track Video 1. Once theswitch occurs, the presentation continues at the corresponding endpoint(endpoint C) in track Video 2. Naturally, tracks Video 1 and Video 2will have been designed so that the corresponding endpoints in eachallow for seamless transitions back and forth between the tracks. Forexample, corresponding endpoints in different tracks can be sceneboundaries, fades, camera changes, mutes, volume changes, or otheralignments in visual content, audio content, context, etc., that providefor seamless transitions from one track endpoint to another trackcorresponding endpoint.

In another implementation, parallel tracks are not temporally aligned,such that corresponding endpoints do not need to be defined at the sametime in each track (as is shown in FIG. 6). Instead, as depicted in FIG.7, endpoints in one track can be defined at times different from theircorresponding endpoints in other tracks. Each of track Video 1 and trackVideo 2 has six defined endpoints (A, B, C, D, E and F). However, atransition from endpoint A in track Video 1 to corresponding endpoint Ain track Video 2 results in a jump forward in time. Likewise, atransition from endpoint D in track Video 1 to corresponding endpoint Din track Video 2 is a jump backward in time. In some implementations,endpoints need not be defined in the same order in each track. So, forexample, still referring to FIG. 7, endpoints A and D in track Video 2could be switched. Accordingly, when a transition occurs at endpoint Ain track Video 1, the presentation jumps ahead past endpoints B and C intrack Video 2, all the way to endpoint A (formerly endpoint D).Similarly, a transition from endpoint D in track Video 1 goes backwardin time, again past endpoints B and C in track Video 2, to the firstendpoint D (formerly endpoint A). In further implementations, multipleendpoints in a track can link to a single corresponding endpoint in adifferent track. Further still, one endpoint in a track can link tomultiple endpoints in another track (and any suitable mechanism can beused to select which destination endpoint will be transitioned to, e.g.,random selection, selection based on user profile, statistics, otheruser choices, etc.). One will appreciate the various configurations thatendpoints can take over multiple parallel tracks.

Although the systems and methods described herein relate primarily toaudio and video playback, the invention is equally applicable to variousstreaming and non-streaming media, including animation, video games,interactive media, and other forms of content usable in conjunction withthe present systems and methods. Further, there can be more than oneaudio, video, and/or other media content stream played insynchronization with other streams. Streaming media can include, forexample, multimedia content that is continuously presented to a userwhile it is received from a content delivery source, such as a remotevideo server. If a source media file is in a format that cannot bestreamed and/or does not allow for seamless connections betweensegments, the media file can be transcoded or converted into a formatsupporting streaming and/or seamless transitions. Alternatively or inaddition, audio, video and other media can be stored as files inindividual or combined form, and can be stored locally on a user'sdevice or remotely on a server that transmits or streams the files tothe user device.

While various implementations of the present invention have beendescribed herein, it should be understood that they have been presentedby example only. For example, one of skill in the art will appreciatethat the techniques for creating seamless audio segments can be appliedto creating seamless video segments and other forms of seamless media aswell. Where methods and steps described above indicate certain eventsoccurring in certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art havingthe benefit of this disclosure would recognize that the ordering ofcertain steps can be modified and that such modifications are inaccordance with the given variations. For example, although variousimplementations have been described as having particular features and/orcombinations of components, other implementations are possible havingany combination or sub-combination of any features and/or componentsfrom any of the implementations described herein.

1. A computer-implemented method for seamless transitions in mediapresentations, the method comprising: receiving an interactive videopresentation comprising a plurality of video segments; defining a periodof time within the interactive video presentation during which a user ispermitted to switch from a currently playing video segment in theinteractive video presentation to a different video segment in theinteractive video presentation; defining a plurality of endpoints atdifferent times within the period of time, wherein each endpoint forms alink between (i) a point in a video segment in the interactive videopresentation in which the endpoint is defined and (ii) a point in adifferent video segment in the interactive video presentation; andduring playback of the interactive video presentation: receiving a userinteraction during the period of time; determining that the userinteraction occurs prior to a first one of the endpoints; continuingplayback of the interactive video presentation until reaching the timeat which the first endpoint is defined; and upon reaching the time atwhich the first endpoint is defined, seamlessly transitioning theinteractive video presentation from (i) the point in the video segmentin the interactive presentation in which the first endpoint is definedto (ii) the point in the different video segment in the interactivevideo presentation to which the first endpoint is linked.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein the interactive video presentation is defined by atree structure, the tree structure comprising a plurality of branches ofthe interactive video, each branch comprising one or more of the videosegments.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the different video segmentsin the interactive video presentation to which the endpoints linkcomprise the same video segment.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein eachendpoint is associated with an interim video segment that, when played,provides a seamless presentation between the points in the videosegments linked by the endpoint.
 5. The method of claim 4, whereinseamlessly transitioning the interactive video presentation comprisespresenting the transition video segment immediately upon reaching thetime at which the first endpoint is defined and immediately prior topresenting the different video segment to which the first endpoint islinked.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein each interim video segment isten seconds or fewer.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactivevideo presentation comprises a plurality of parallel videos that can beswitched among while the interactive video presentation is playing, eachparallel video comprising one or more of the video segments.
 8. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the period of time is a first period of timedefined within a first one of the parallel videos, and wherein theplurality of endpoints is a first plurality of endpoints defined withinthe first period of time, the method further comprising: defining asecond period of time within a second one of the parallel videos duringwhich a user is permitted to switch from a currently playing videosegment in the interactive video presentation to a different videosegment in the interactive video presentation; and defining a secondplurality of endpoints at different times within the second period oftime, wherein each endpoint in the second plurality of endpoints forms alink between (i) a point in a video segment in the interactive videopresentation in which the endpoint is defined and (ii) a point in adifferent video segment in the interactive video presentation.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, wherein seamlessly transitioning the interactivevideo presentation comprises switching presentation of the interactivevideo presentation from the first endpoint in the first parallel videoto a second one of the endpoints in the second plurality of endpoints inthe second parallel video.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein theparallel videos are synchronized to a common timeline, and wherein thesecond endpoint is earlier in time on the common timeline than the firstendpoint.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first endpoint is anearest next endpoint within the period of time following occurrence ofthe user interaction.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstendpoint forms a link between (i) the point in the video segment in theinteractive video presentation in which the first endpoint is definedand (ii) a plurality of different points in one or more different videosegments in the interactive video presentation.
 13. The method of claim12, wherein seamlessly transitioning the interactive video presentationcomprises: selecting, based on the user interaction, a particular pointof the plurality of different points; and seamlessly transitioning theinteractive video from (i) the point in the video segment in theinteractive presentation in which the first endpoint is defined to (ii)the particular point.
 14. A system for seamless transitions in mediapresentations, the system comprising: at least one memory for storingcomputer-executable instructions; and at least one processor forexecuting the instructions stored on the memory, wherein execution ofthe instructions programs the at least one processor to performoperations comprising: receiving an interactive video presentationcomprising a plurality of video segments; defining a period of timewithin the interactive video presentation during which a user ispermitted to switch from a currently playing video segment in theinteractive video presentation to a different video segment in theinteractive video presentation; defining a plurality of endpoints atdifferent times within the period of time, wherein each endpoint forms alink between (i) a point in a video segment in the interactive videopresentation in which the endpoint is defined and (ii) a point in adifferent video segment in the interactive video presentation; andduring playback of the interactive video presentation: receiving a userinteraction during the period of time; determining that the userinteraction occurs prior to a first one of the endpoints; continuingplayback of the interactive video presentation until reaching the timeat which the first endpoint is defined; and upon reaching the time atwhich the first endpoint is defined, seamlessly transitioning theinteractive video presentation from (i) the point in the video segmentin the interactive presentation in which the first endpoint is definedto (ii) the point in the different video segment in the interactivevideo presentation to which the first endpoint is linked.
 15. The systemof claim 14, wherein the interactive video presentation is defined by atree structure, the tree structure comprising a plurality of branches ofthe interactive video, each branch comprising one or more of the videosegments.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the different videosegments in the interactive video presentation to which the endpointslink comprise the same video segment.
 17. The system of claim 15,wherein each endpoint is associated with an interim video segment that,when played, provides a seamless presentation between the points in thevideo segments linked to by the endpoint.
 18. The system of claim 17,wherein seamlessly transitioning the interactive video presentationcomprises presenting the transition video segment immediately uponreaching the time at which the first endpoint is defined and immediatelyprior to presenting the different video segment to which the firstendpoint is linked.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the interactivevideo presentation comprises a plurality of parallel videos that can beswitched among while the interactive video presentation is playing, eachparallel video comprising one or more of the video segments.
 20. Thesystem of claim 19, wherein the period of time is a first period of timedefined within a first one of the parallel videos, and wherein theplurality of endpoints is a first plurality of endpoints defined withinthe first period of time, the operations further comprising: defining asecond period of time within a second one of the parallel videos duringwhich a user is permitted to switch from a currently playing videosegment in the interactive video presentation to a different videosegment in the interactive video presentation; and defining a secondplurality of endpoints at different times within the second period oftime, wherein each endpoint in the second plurality of endpoints forms alink between (i) a point in a video segment in the interactive videopresentation in which the endpoint is defined and (ii) a point in adifferent video segment in the interactive video presentation.
 21. Thesystem of claim 20, wherein seamlessly transitioning the interactivevideo presentation comprises switching presentation of the interactivevideo presentation from the first endpoint in the first parallel videoto a second one of the endpoints in the second plurality of endpoints inthe second parallel video.
 22. The system of claim 21, wherein theparallel videos are synchronized to a common timeline, and wherein thesecond endpoint is earlier in time on the common timeline than the firstendpoint.
 23. The method of claim 14, wherein the first endpoint forms alink between (i) the point in the video segment in the interactive videopresentation in which the first endpoint is defined and (ii) a pluralityof different points in one or more different video segments in theinteractive video presentation.
 24. The method of claim 23, whereinseamlessly transitioning the interactive video presentation comprises:selecting, based on the user interaction, a particular point of theplurality of different points; and seamlessly transitioning theinteractive video from (i) the point in the video segment in theinteractive presentation in which the first endpoint is defined to (ii)the particular point.